VM News
REFLECTING ON SEMESTER 1…
Over the course of two terms, both Year 11 and 12 students engaged in many activities, projects, and excursions. These included Year 11 Buddy Program, Year 12 Fringe Festival, ADF presentation, Try a Trade Show and Career Expo, F1 Formula Racing, Yoga, Year 12 Career Expo, 2 blocks of SWL, Year 12 TRAG Presentation, White Card Training, Horticulture Expo, Shark Tank and The Great Debate.
Semester 2 is shaping up to be just as busy and exciting, with a range of activities still in the planning and approval stage. These include White Card Training, gaming events, car wash, sausage sizzle, Staff vs Students activities, Corner Shop Carnival, Year 11 Charity Walk 22km to Mordialloc, Year 12 final presentations, It's ok, not to be Ok Workshop, Celebration Day and the finale…Year 12 Valedictory.
The final assembly for Semester 1 celebrated students’ achievement in PDS, Literacy, Work Related Skills, Maths/Numeracy and other VCE subjects. It also highlighted 100% attendance of students both at school and TAFE, with many students walking away with Bayside and canteen vouchers - Well done!
STRUCTURED WORKPLACE LEARNING
An integral part of the VM program is undertaking Structured Workplace Learning (SWL). Some students complete one day a week, every week and others opt for the 2 week work experience block at the end of every term.
Structured workplace learning provides students with the opportunity to integrate practical on-the-job experience and learning in workplaces. Structured workplace learning provides the opportunity for:
- enhanced skill development
- practical application of industry knowledge
- assessment of units of competency
- achievement of some learning outcomes
- enhanced employment opportunities.
The second instalment of the VM students for 2024 commenced. As expected, the VM received many positive reports from employers who basically thought our kids are awesome. So I thought it was a good opportunity to reach out the wider school community and encourage you to think about your family and friendship circles, and if any of them would be interested in taking our students for a Structured Workplace Learning for Term 3 to please reach out to the VM staff. Kellie Lindemann (VM Sub School Leader) put her money where her mouth was when she convinced her beauty therapist of 8 years, Jayda Roberts from JC Aesthetics, to allow Jenna Caljouw to shadow her for the two weeks. So when she arrived for her two weekly ongoing appointment, she was proud to observe Jayda training Jenna in eyebrow lamination. For those that don't know what eyebrow lamination is, it's time to find out!
Looking ahead…In 2025, all Vocational Major students must undertake a compulsory 1 day a week (Fridays) of SWL, and it MUST relate to their current VET/TAFE certificate.
Example 1: Student is undertaking Cert II Animal Studies and works at an animal shelter on Fridays.
Example 2: Student is undertaking Cert II Cookery and works at Cheesecake Shop on Fridays.
Example 3. Student is undertaking Cert II Visual Arts and works as an art assistant at Karingal PS on Fridays.
THE GREAT DEBATE
Week 8 of this term saw the final outcome for Personal Development Skills, in which students demonstrated key knowledge and skills in leadership and teamwork. Students were grouped by Google's name generator, as friendship groups were not allowed and over 4 weeks, students understood the value of individual strengths and weaknesses, effective communication, and strategies to deal with uncomfortable situations. The end result was inevitably THE GREAT DEBATE. The combination of two classes, pitted against each for some humorous, engaging and hard-hitting responses to topics of uniform and phone policies and a particularly contentious topic of whether or not teachers should be graded by students. It was a very proud teaching moment, to witness many students, who a month ago, would never have envisioned themselves debating in front of the whole VM12 cohort.
HORTICULTURE EXPO
It was all happening at the Convention Centre on Tuesday 4th June, when the Conservation and Ecosystem SBAT students gained a 'once off' experience at the Horticulture Expo. While I've been to many trade shows, expos and career days, I have never been so impressed by the energy and motivation of a whole profession that believes that everything begins and ends with food. Whilst I didn't understand many of the stalls because they were technical, machinery and industry related, I was impressed by the students' confidence to talk to the many presenters to get a better understanding (even if it was to get all the free stuff). After a restaurant quality lunch was provided, it caused many of us to roll out of the Convention Centre to a bus waiting to take us home. The tickets to this amazing event were valued at $600 each and were generously donated to McClelland College by the Smith Family, so it was lovely to hear from the Smith Family representative that our students presence was felt, and their enthusiasm (and behaviour) was amazing. A big thankyou to Bridey Oliver (Year 10 Leader) who thought of the VM students, when she was given the tickets but due to exams, was unable to offer the opportunity to the Year 10 students.
"Hi everyone, what a day Tuesday was. It was great to see all the McClelland students really get into the vibe of the event. I saw they got loads of freebies and wondered how they were going to get it all home. I had such good feedback from some of the stallholders about the students. They were polite, asked loads of questions about what the company does and what their roles were and were so well behaved. Congratulations to you all and please thank the students for me. I didn't realise how many organisations were involved in this until I got there and found it all really interesting. Thank you to you teachers too who arranged it on your end and attended. I hope you enjoyed it as well. This was once off at least for a few years. The convention will be in Sydney next year and Brisbane the year after so won't be back to Melbourne for a while. Thankyou all for all your help and we have more good programs coming for Term 3. Looking forward to it all, Cheers"
Karen Gill (State Project Lead, Growing Careers Project - The Smith Family)
THE FINAL INSTALMENT OF THE NUMERACY PROJECT -HOVERCRAFTS
Unit 3 VM Numeracy students have been learning about mathematics both in a theoretical and practical setting. Their building, experimenting, and hypothesising, was finally tested, resulting in a 100% success rate, which resulted in hovercrafts for their current assessment task. Well done to all VM Numeracy students!
INTERESTING READ…
As we move into course counselling for 2025, the following article reminds us of the value of the VM program as the Australian Tax Office reveals the 10 highest paying jobs that don't require a university degree.
Article: The highest paying jobs in Australia that don’t come with a HUGE HECS debt.
Behind the eye-watering salaries of surgeons, judges and engineers, are years of university education and sky-high HECS debts.
But for people looking to secure a six-figure salary without the enormous student debt, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) tax data has revealed the most lucrative professions that do not require a degree.
Jobs in aviation and transport, mining, construction and real estate came out on top, after the ATO published taxable income statistics from the 2021-2022 financial year last Friday. While some university courses do exist as pathways into these high-earning roles, they are not the only pathway there - diplomas, certificates, on-the-job training and relevant licenses and exams can also get you into these jobs.
The average annual wage (after tax) for the top-earning jobs that don’t require a degree:
1. Air traffic controllers: $153,445
2. Plane pilots: $143,403
3. Train drivers: $132,430
4. Coal miners: $130,033
5. Helicopter pilots: $125,105
6. Railway signal operators: $124,767
7. Railway station managers: $115,264
8. Real estate agents: $112,815
9. Crane operators: $109,165
10. Auctioneer: $102,544
Salaries soar for air traffic controllers and pilots
Air traffic controllers were the highest earning workers on average, according to the ATO data, with a total average salary of $153,445.
A Diploma of Aviation with Air services Australia, or a training program with the Royal Australian Air Force are two pathways into the job, and workers would also need an Air Traffic Control Licence from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
Plane pilots were the second-highest paying profession, earning a total average salary of $143,403.
Helicopter pilots receive the fifth-highest salary on the list, getting a total average salary of $125,105, and similarly require a diploma and extensive training.
Rail jobs on and off the tracks
Driving trains can get you a $132,4 30 salary on average, the third-highest earning job that does not require a degree, according to the taxation statistics. It’s a job which requires Certificate IV in Train Driving, a course which is usually offered “as part of a traineeship with the major rail operator in your state,” according to Seek.
Railway signal operators, which control the movement of trains, and assemble and disassemble trains within a marshalling yard, earned a total average of $124,767, according to the ATO.
Train station management is the seventh-highest earning role on the list, and earned workers a total average salary of $115,264.
Mining and construction
Coal mining is the fourth-highest paid job on the list, with workers earning a total average salary of$130,033.
There are several vocational qualifications available for prospective miners, and apprenticeships or traineeships also allow workers to gain their nationally recognised qualifications on the job.
In the construction industry, it is crane operations which offers the highest salary to workers who want to avoid university.
Crane operators earned an average total salary of $109,165, landing them ninth on the list.
Going once, going twice
For those looking for a less risky role, the real estate industry also offers high earning positions.
Real estate agents ranked eighth on the list of high earning jobs that do not require a university degree, with an average total salary of $112,815 reported to the ATO.
PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT FOR YEAR 9 & 10 STUDENTS
On Monday 24th June, all parents were invited to attend McClelland College to understand the different pathways at senior level. Students have a choice of Vocational Major (VM) or Victorian
Certificate of Education (VCE). The biggest difference between the two is the VCE pathway is aimed at students who need an ATAR to enter tertiary education, whilst VCE VM (VM) is an applied approach to teaching and learning and is aimed at students requiring Cert II, III or IV for their chosen career. For anyone who is interested in more information about the VCE VM program, please contact the VM Team.
UPCOMING DATES
White Card Training - 27th June
Holidays - 1st July
Year 10 into 11 course counselling - 24th July
Year 11 into 12 course counselling - 26th July
Numeracy projects - 29th July-8th August
Corner Shop Carnival - 29th August
SWL Work Block - 2nd-13th September (Term 3 week 8 & 9)
Its ok, not to be ok Workshop- TBA September
Celebration Day - 22nd October
Year 12 Final VM Presentations - 14th-18th October
Head Start - 2nd-13th December